Our guest on the show this week is writer-director-actor-producer British-Canadian MADELEINE SIMS-FEWER. She has BFA. with honours in film production at York University and a MFA in acting at the Drama Centre London. She is an alum of the Berlinale Talent Campus 2016 and the Rotterdam Lab this year in 2021. Madeleine met Dusty Mancinelli at the 2015 TIFF Filmmakers’ Lab, and they  founded DM FILMS. Their jam is a naturalistic performance style with their films exploring gender politics, human nature, and abuse of power. Their debut feature, VIOLATION, had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, where Madeleine was a TIFF Rising Star. VIOLATION won the Emerging Canadian Artist award at the Calgary International Film Festival, the Emerging Canadian Director award at the Vancouver International Film Festival, and Madeleine won the Vancouver Critics Circle award for Best Actress. VIOLATION had its international premiere at Sundance Film Festival, Texas premiere at South by Southwest, and has been nominated for Five Canadian Screen Awards, including the John Dunning Best First Feature Film Award and Best Female Actor in a Leading Role for Madeline playing Miriam. Instagram: @madeleine_simsfewer DM Films https://www.dmfilms.com/ VIOLATION https://www.dmfilms.com/violation VIOLATION is available on digital and on demand https://itunes.apple.com/ca/movie/violation/id1551684339 Firecracker Shoutout Limor Markovzki @limormarkovzki For Alissa Abeler @winter_thistle Francesca Coviello @fran_creates Nadine Brito @nadine_brito Naomi Snieckus @snieckus Head Poducer: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong Editor: Shayne Stolz @shaynestolz Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.firecrackerdepartment.com and follow us @firecrackerdept!

Firecracker Department with Naomi Snieckus

Madeleine Sims-Fewer

Our guest on the show this week is a queer, trans-feminine, Muslim playwright, performer and workshop facilitator BILAL BAIG. Their first play ACHA BACHA, had its world premiere in 2018 and it has been published by Playwrights Canada Press. Bilal develops and facilitates workshops for youth in under-resourced neighbourhoods in Toronto, at non-profits, such as RIVERS OF HOPE where they combat Islamophobia through the arts and STORY PLANET which focuses on creative writing and literacy. Bilal makes queerstory by becoming the first queer, trans-feminine, South Asian and Muslim performer in Canada to be cast in the lead role of a primetime TV series - on the new groundbreaking CBC and HBO Max original series SORT OF. They are starring as one of the first non-binary lead characters on North American mainstream network TV! Bilal leads the creative charge as the Executive Producer-Writer-Lead Performer-Co-Creator on this amazing new show! SORT OF follows a gender-fluid millennial character named "Sabi" who straddles various identities from sexy bartender at a queer bookstore-bar, to the youngest child in a large Pakistani family, to the de facto parent of a downtown Toronto hipster family. This must-see coming-of-age story exposes the labels we once poured ourselves into as no longer applicable to anyone. SORT OF is available to stream in Canada on CBC Gem; will broadcast on CBC TV beginning Tuesday, November 9 with back-to-back episodes starting at 9 p.m. (9:30 NT) @sortofbilal @cbc and @cbcgem ​​https://gem.cbc.ca/media/sort-of/s01 #SortOfCBC River of Hope https://www.riversofhope.ca/ Story Planet https://storyplanet.ca/ @storyplanetto Acha Bacha https://www.playwrightscanada.com/Books/A/Acha-Bacha https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/acha-bacha/9780369100900-item.html https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08F2YCWCZ?ref=KC_GS_GB_CA https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/acha-bacha Podcast Team: Head Producer: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong Editor: Shayne Stolz @shaynestolz Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.firecrackerdepartment.com and follow us @firecrackerdept!

Bilal Baig

Our tenth Reel Women’s Network (RWN) spotlight is award-winning actor-director-writer MEOSHA BEAN. Meosha, founder of M.V.B Films, started filming and acting at the tender age of 7, inspired by watching horror films with her older brother and it grew from there. Meosha was voted the best upcoming director at the New Jersey Film Festival in 2012. Meosha directing projects include: the doc THE UNTOLD STORY OF MARIANO MENDOZA, MISS PEPPER an award- winning short that got over 30K views during its first week, horror film DELUSION and ANATOMY OF AN ANTIHERO: REDEMPTION (available on RWN), won Best Film at the Los Angeles Film Awards, the April Award at the New York Film Awards and the Best Action film at the Istanbul Film Awards. Meosha Bean on RWN: https://reelwomensnetwork.com/meosha-bean/ Instagram: @meoshabeanofficial https://mvbfilmproductioninc.blogspot.com/ Photo credits Meosha Bean: from her personal collection Naomi Snieckus: David Leyes Reel Women's Network Twitter: @ReelWomensNetw1 Instagram: @reelwomensnetwork https://reelwomensnetwork.com/ Social Justice Department presents Igniting Social Justice Part 1 Tuesday, October 5, 2021 Led by Sedina Fiati @bwheelsheels and Farah Merani @fa_me https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/igniting-social-justice-part-1-tickets-169552739809 Shoutout Catherine Gourdier @cathgourdier https://catherinegourdier.com/ Lara Margaret Marjerrison @insidestoriesto https://www.insidestories.ca/ Podcast Team Head Producer and Editor: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong Editor: Shayne Stolz @shaynestolz Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.firecrackerdepartment.com and follow us @firecrackerdept!

Reel Women's Network Spotlight: Meosha Bean

Bonus Episode: the 2021 live red carpet Blaze Award presentation to  screenwriter-author-advocate-and-Emmy Award-winning actor Jo Vannicola. The Blaze Award is presented to a spectacular woman or non-binary artist who has outstanding achievements in their artistic field and givebacks to their community.  It was a unanimous decision to present this year’s Blaze Award to Jo. Whether they are in front or, behind the camera or at outACTRAto, they approach everything with integrity and a joyful heart that inspires others to want to create and lead with the same level of passion, vulnerability and drive.  LINKS: @joannevannicola @trashedshortfilm https://joannevannicola.com/ Photo Credit: Denise Grant   BLAZE AWARD SPONSOR - Made You Look Jewellery @madeyoulookjewellery https://www.madeyoulook.ca/   RED CARPET SPONSORS - Zaza Espresso Bar and Resilientista @zazaespresso https://zazaespresso.com/ @resilientista http://www.resilientista.com/   NAOMI TIFF ONE DRESS - Matin Mathris @matinmithras https://matinmithras.com/   RED CARPET GUESTS Vinessa Antoine @therealvinessaantoine - KICKING BLOOD Director Haya Waseem @haya_wsm - QUICKENING Executive Producer-Writer-Lead Performer-Co-Creator Bilal Baig @sortofbilal - SORT OF (CBC/HBO Series - part of TIFF Primetime)  @cbc and @cbcgem Savonna Spracklin @savonna_spracklin - WILDWOOD Director Alanis Obomsawin @onf_nfb -HONOUR TO SENATOR MURRAY SINCLAIR AND TIFF Cinematheque presents CELEBRATING ALANIS Director Fawzia Mirza @thefawz and Writer/Actor Kaursar Mohammed @kausartheperson from THE SYED FAMILY XMAS EVE GAME NIGHT To watch the red carpet got to: https://fb.watch/7-iOYo5kyC/ TIFF BRUNCH ROOMS Photobooth - Host and Sponsor Rachel McCaig @rachealmc Writing and Script Room - Hosts Fran Coviello @fran_creates and Liesl Lafferty Wellness Room - Host Emily Churchill -  sponsor Let’s Heal This Shit @letshealthisshit Mentorship Room - Host Veronica Martin @veronicaannemartin -  sponsor Fab in the City @uberfab Trivia Room Sydney Neilson @sydney_neilson - sponsor Creemore @creemoresprings Daily Fare @thedailyfare PODCAST TEAM Head Producer: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong Head of Post Production: Sydney Neilson @sydney_neilson Editor: Shayne Stolz @shaynestolz Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.firecrackerdepartment.com and follow us @firecrackerdept!

Bonus Episode: 2021 Live Blaze Award Presentation to Jo Vannicola

This week’s episode is a throwback to our exciting Facebook Live WORK IN PROGRESS Panel from last July 2020.   WORK IN PROGRESS is about Abby, a forty five-year-old self-identified fat, queer dyke whose misfortune and despair unexpectedly lead her to a vibrantly transformative relationship.     Panel Guests: Abby McEnany stars as Abby and is the co-creator of WORK IN PROGRESS Celeste Pechous @celesteinclogs stars as Campbell, Abby’s bestfriend (Twitter: @cpechous) Mary Sohn @maroldswan stars as Susan, Abby’s annoying officemate Kate James stars as Miriam and is a writer for the show (Twitter: @katecjames) Host: Naomi Snieckus @snieckus   Both Celeste and Mary were past podcast guests so check out their episodes.    WORK IN PROGRESS Season 2 is currently airing Sunday nights at 11pm ET/PT on SHOWTIME. @showtime Stream WORK IN PROGRESS on CraveTV in Canada. @cravecanada https://www.sho.com/work-in-progress https://www.crave.ca/en/tv-shows/work-in-progress   Firecracker Department Virtual TIFF Brunch - Sunday, September 12, 2021 1:00pm ET/10:00am - TIFF Virtual Red Carpet - Live Facebook (@firecrackerdept) 2:00pm ET/11:00pm - TIFF Brunch (invite only)    The amazing production team for our Facebook Live WORK IN PROGRESS Panel are: Winnie Wong as the main producer  Rebecca Marquardt as technical director @rebeccaloops Anna Gustafson as the co-producer follow her @goosegustafson Sydney Neilson as the social media manager Podcast production team: Head Producer and Editor: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong Head of Post Production & Head Writer: Sydney Neilson @sydney_neilson Editor:  Shayne Stolz @shaynestolz   Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.firecrackerdepartment.com and follow us @firecrackerdept!

BONUS EPISODE: WORK IN PROGRESS July 2020 Panel

Our guest on the show this week is award-winning producer and the founder and executive director of Girls in Film and Television (GIFT) CAMILLE BEAUDOIN.  Camille is mixed blood Cree, Haudenosaunee, Métis, and French Canadian. She is an alum of the National Screen Institute and Banff Centre for the Arts, Facilitator for the Whistler Film Festival Indigenous Filmmaker Fellowship, as well as Edmonton YWCA’s 2014 Woman of Distinction in Arts & Culture and one of Avenue Magazine’s Edmonton's Top 40 under 40! Camille founded Mosaic Entertainment with Eric Rebalkin.  They produce and distribute hours of digital entertainment, nearly 100 episodes of television, 3 mobile games, and 3 feature length films featuring Danny Trejo, Colin Mochrie, and  the late great Alan Thicke. Credits include: CAUTION: May Contain Nuts (APTN), Tiny Plastic Men (Super Channel), Roxy (#Roxy) starring Booboo Stewart from Disney’s Descendants and The Twilight films, which recently won Best Teen/Tween Movie at the Kidscreen Awards, and Best Feature Film at the Alberta Film and Television Awards.  Their new teen brand SPESCH, which specializes in smart, empowering content for tween and teen girls. Girls in Film and Television (GIFT) is a not-for-profit dedicated to addressing the need for gender parity and diverse representation on screen through hands-on learning and support. Quick content warning: this episode does contain sensitive talk regarding the Indigenous lives taken by Canada's residential schools. If that's too much for you right now, skip this episode and take care of you. Twitter: @mosaiccamille Instagram: @mosaicent Facebook: @mosaicentertainment  Twitter and Instagram: @girlsinfilmtv Facebook: @mosaicentertainment  www.mosaicentertainment.ca www.girlsinfilmtv.com Indian Residential School Survivors - @IRSSurvivor www.irsss.ca Shoutout from Kathleen Harquail (Actioneer, Mentorship Department) @atkharquail for Liesl Lafferty award-winning director, scriptwriter, story developer, and facilitator. Head Producer and Editor: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong Head of Post Production & Head Writer: Sydney Neilson @sydney_neilson Editor: Shayne Stolz @shaynestolz Subscribe to our newsletter at www.firecrackerdepartment.com and follow us @firecrackerdept!

Camille Beaudoin

Our guest on the show this week is superstar producer Marina Cordoni, the founder of Marina Cordoni Entertainment, aka MCE!  This is going to be such a treat because Marina will also be one of the mentors for our Indie Producers mentorship workshop on September 25th!  Marina’s handled pre-sales and completed picture sales on hits including '4 Weddings and a Funeral', 'Dead Man Walking', 'Fargo' and 'Sleepers'!   With all her amazing distribution smarts, Marina pivoted into the production world.  Marina met her business partner Kelley Feldsott Reynolds when they both executive produced one of Hallmark Network’s highest-rated TV movies, 'Love on the Air'! Now, they’ve built a bridge between Canada and the U.S., with Marina producing from Toronto and Kelley from L.A. Some of Marina and Kelley's upcoming projects include Fear the Worst, a Linwood Barclay novel starring Jason Priestley, and Wanda Woman, with writer Bridget Canning, director Gia Milani, and producer, Mary Sexton in Newfoundland.  Marina shared exclusively about her journey to sobriety and how this opened up a whole new world of creativity.   Follow Marina Cordoni @mcordoni Website: www.marinacordoni.com Photo Credit : Liliana Reyes Fotography @lilianareyesfoto Never Saw It Coming @neversawfilm - catch it on Amazon Prime  American Hangman is on iTunes globally and Amazon in the US  Love On the Air can be streamed on Hallmark Movies Now  Firecracker Department Indie Producers Mentorship Workshop on September 25, 2021! Link is posted on the Firecracker Department Members Page.  Members have early bird registration.  Join us! The Firecracker community/general public can register on August 24th. Stay tuned. Shoutouts - Core member and Actioneer Anna Jane Edmonds (@atotheje) - support AJ's upcoming project Dark Highway by giving to the Seed&Spark page or spread the word. - a documentary film exposing the pervasiveness of sex trafficking in Ontario. Be a part of bringing this story to life: share, donate, and ask questions! Go to @darkhighwayfilm for links in their bio. -Community member Anne-Marie Krytiuk (@itsannemariek) shouts out actor-comedian Robyn Deverett (@robyndeverett) who has a podcast Window Chats with Robyn. Podcast Production Credits: Head Producer: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong Head of Post Production and Head Writer: Sydney Neilson (@sydney_neilson) Editors: Jordyn Giddens @jordyngiddens and Shayne Stolz @shaynestolz Intro/Outro Writer: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.firecrackerdepartment.com and follow us @firecrackerdept!

Marina Cordoni

Our guest on the show this week is director, writer, producer, TV personality, ASIS SETHI! Asis is not only an incredible creator whose work is featured on the Reel Women’s Network streaming platform, but is also part of our Firecracker Department Core Team!  Asis Sethi started her career as a Reporter on OMNI Television, quickly became a host! Asis has directed, written, and produced a ton of independent projects and founded Fly Away Films, a film company focusing on issues women and communities face that promote a cross-cultural understanding.  Her most recent short film titled 'A Bloody Mess' focuses on the taboo surrounding menstruation in the South Asian community living outside of India, with the specific goal of encouraging conversation to normalize menstruation. It has been screened at over 26 film festivals worldwide, won awards internationally, and is available now on Reel Women’s Network!  Asis believes that cinema has the ability to transcend borders, cultures and identities to bring everyone together and bring change into society and she hopes to use cinema as a tool to highlight issues facing women and bring about a change in society.   Instagram: @asis.sethi @flyawayfilmsinc @bollywoodfilmfamecanada Twitter: @AsisSethi @FlyAwayFilmsInc @bffcmag   https://www.asissethi.com/ https://flyawayfilms.ca/ https://bollywoodfilmfame.com/   Head Producer: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong Head of Post Production & Head Writer: Sydney Neilson @sydney_neilson Editor: Jennifer Rowley Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.firecrackerdepartment.com and follow us @firecrackerdept!

Reel Women's Network Spotlight: Asis Sethi

Our guest on the show this week is Olympic silver medalist, advocate, speaker, and the executive director of Switch4Good, Dotsie Bausch! She won her silver medal in cycling at the 2012 London Olympic Games, as well as two Pan American gold medals, eight US national championships, AND a world record!  Since concluding her professional cycling career, Dotsie’s become a major influencer for plant-based eating! She founded the non-profit Switch 4 Good and has been featured in two different Netflix documentaries: Personal Gold and The Game Changers.  We talk about Dotsie’s athletic and emotional journey, her struggle with eating disorders, her road to sobriety, and so much more. She speaks all over the world now, and she’s even got me ready to try going plant based with my eating!      Follow Dotsie! Instagram: @veganolympian Instagram: @Switch4Good Facebook: @Switch4Good  Twitter: @Switch4GoodOrg Instagram and Facebook: @gamechangersmovie Twitter: @gcmovie   https://dotsiebauschusa.com/ https://switch4good.org/ https://gamechangersmovie.com/   Head Producer: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong Editor: Jordyn Giddens @jordyngiddens Head of Post Production: Sydney Neilson @sydney_neilson   Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.firecrackerdepartment.com and follow us @firecrackerdept!

Dotsie Bausch

Our guest on the show this week is actor, producer, writer, certified Reiki healer, and Firecracker Core Member, EMILY CHURCHILL! AND, Emily also just so happens to be a creator also featured on Reel Womens Network! Emily has trained and performed at Second City Chicago and Hollywood, UCB LA, AND The Comedy Central Stage. She’s been a writer and performer for groups and troupes, and her series Friends on A Bench was featured in LA at Hollyshorts, plus The Chicago Comedy Festival AND The Austin Comedy Film Festival. Emily’s been on your screens in Criminal Minds on CBS, in Sydney To The Max on Disney Channel (which you can both find now on Disney plus, of course). Em’s also in a ton of animation and voice over work, PLUS national commercial campaigns, including a beautiful moment in a purple bodysuit as The Flea for Simparica! Listen now!   Follow Emily: https://www.instagram.com/emchurchill/  https://www.instagram.com/letshealthisshit/  https://www.friendsonabench.com/  https://www.emilychurchill.com/reel https://reelwomensnetwork.com/emily-churchill/   Head Producer: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong Head of Post Production & Head Writer: Sydney Neilson @sydney_neilson Editor: Jennifer Rowley Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.firecrackerdepartment.com and follow us @firecrackerdept!

Reel Women's Network Spotlight: Emily Churchill

Our guest on the show this week is filmmaker, actor, and firecracker CORE MEMBER, Anna Jane Edmonds, aka AJ! @atotheje is an emerging leader in the film industry, splitting her time between Toronto and Los Angeles working  as a producer, director, performer and idea creator. AJ’s garnered over 10 years of experience in the entertainment and film industry as an actor, director, assistant director, production manager AND producer credited on over 40 commercials, short films and features. AJ was awarded the Best Canadian Feature for producing the film POOR AGNES at the 2017 Fantasia Film Festival, and is one of the co-founders of the amazing POCKET FILM SCHOOL! She’s lived around the world, from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, to Toronto, Los Angeles, and more. AJ’s story is incredible and working with her is an absolute joy. Listen now!   Follow AJ on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atotheje/ via Pocket Film School: https://www.instagram.com/pocket.film.school/    Donate to AJ’s upcoming documentary “Dark Highway” https://seedandspark.com/fund/dark-highway#story    Head Producer: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong Head of Post Production: Sydney Neilson @sydney_neilson Editor: Jennifer Rowley Associate Producer: Saba Dolati Miab  Writer: Francesca Coviello   Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.firecrackerdepartment.com and follow us @firecrackerdept!

AnnaJane "AJ" Edmonds

Our guest on the show this week is transgender writer and stand up comedian, Jeena Bloom!  Jeena has performed all over the country, including a headlining tour of the southern United States, shortly before the pandemic. She has previously been a winner of the Harlem Comedy Festival Competition and a finalist for the She Devil Comedy Competition in NYC. She has performed at the Hollywood Improv, Comedy Store and most NYC comedy venues. Her writing has been featured in the LA Times, New York Magazine and The AV Club.  She has also appeared on Viceland and Sit N Spin for Comedy Central. In her previous life, Jeena had worked for eight years as an independent filmmaker. Jeena took over a decade off from filmmaking as a survivor of domestic violence and finally as an out trans woman!    LINKS Follow Summertime: https://www.instagram.com/summertimemovie2021  See Summertime in theatres now! https://gooddeedentertainment.com/summertime/#get-tickets  More on Summertime: https://linktr.ee/SummertimeTheMovie  Follow Marquesha: https://www.instagram.com/ladi3lyrix  Marquesha performs “That Girl”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhokgQh0_DY    Twitter: @jeenabloom Instagram:  @jeenabloom @antidepressantcomedyhour @morebananapods Website: https://www.jeenabloomdoescomedy.com/   Jeena's Photo Credit: Noah Eberhard Head Producer: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong Head of Post Production & Head Writer: Sydney Neilson @sydney_neilson Editor: Jordyn Giddens @jordyn_giddens   Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.firecrackerdepartment.com and follow us @firecrackerdept!

Jeena Bloom

Our guest on the show this week is award-winning actor, producer COLLEEN WHEELER, and her daughter Lily Reynolds! This episode is super special, first because it’s our first mother/daughter episode, and second because it was recorded in PERSON, in Colleen’s backyard studio in Vancouver! Now, Colleen is originally from Toronto, and now lives in beautiful Vancouver, BC. She graduated from the University of Alberta with a BFA in Acting, and has since performed in over 75 stage productions across Canada, as well as over 50 onscreen roles in film and TV.  She voiced Mystique on the animated X:Men Evolution series, was featured in 2018’s Tully with Charlize Theron and Mackenzie Davis, as well as the 2012 feature The Tall Man with Jessica Biel. And so many more!   LINKS:    The Transamorous Trilogy https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/discretion-short-film#/ https://www.instagram.com/artstarkiley/ https://www.instagram.com/transamoroustrilogy/    Instagram: @colleenwheeler123Instagram: @heelfactoryfilm   Twitter: @Colleen_WheelerTwitter: @heelfactoryfilm   Website: heelfactoryfilm.com   The Best Damn Podcast Game Show Ever https://art19.com/shows/the-best-damn-podcast-game-show-ever    Head Producer: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong Head of Post Production: Sydney Neilson @sydney_neilson Editor: Jennifer Rowley Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.firecrackerdepartment.com and follow us @firecrackerdept!

Colleen Wheeler (with daughter Lily Reynolds)

We have a brand new Reel Women’s Network creator spotlight for you AND it’s also a firecracker department CORE TEAM MEMBER! Our guest on the show this week is Muslim actor, filmmaker, educator and advocate, FARAH MERANI! Based in LA and Toronto, she is a graduate of the Drama Centre London and has performed in Canada and the US, throughout Europe and in Russia. She has been called by her peers a “revolutionary change maker” in the film industry.  Farah heads up the Script Department which hosts a regular script reading series supporting women and non-binary writers.    Some of her TV and film credits include: Shadowhunters, Nikita, Lost Girl, Covert Affairs, Private Eyes and  the upcoming feature film, Eat Wheaties!, featuring Tony Hale from Veep and Arrested Development!    In addition to being an actor, she has produced dozens of films with her company, Lifeguard Productions, co-founded a non-profit called Women on Screen, and serves as a diversity and inclusion consultant for film and tv with her former co-chair of the ACTRA Toronto Diversity Committee.   Follow Farah: https://www.leaninusc.org/farah-merani https://www.womenonscreen.ca/ www.lifeguardproductions.ca @screenwmn - Instagram @ScreenWMN – Twitter @ScreenWomen – Facebook @lifeguardproductions – Facebook @lifeguardproductions – Instagram   Gillian Müller Twitter: @MullerGillian IG: @gillianmuller Karen Walton Twitter: @inkcanada IG: @helloiwrite Mika Collins Twitter: @mikacollinz IG: @mikacollinz Sarah Dollard Twitter @snazdoll   Head Producer: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong Head Editor: Sydney Neilson @sydney_neilson Writer: Lauren Schell  Editor: Jennifer Rowley   Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.firecrackerdepartment.com and follow us @firecrackerdept!

Reel Women's Network Spotlight: Farah Merani

Our guest on the show this week is Toronto-based singer and actor GEORGIA GRANT! We’ve partnered with Sheridan College’s Music Theatre Performance Class of ‘95 to support their newly created Class of 95 BIPOC Bursary Fund! The new Bursary Fund at Sheridan is to support music theatre and technical production students who identify as Black, Indigenous and/or People of Colour. They have created this fund to help Sheridan in its efforts to dismantle systemic racism and create opportunities for underrepresented members of our community.  Now, since graduating from Sheridan college in 1995 Georgia has made her home on the stage, both in musicals or straight plays. Some of her favourite roles to date include Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Grace Farrell in Annie, Dionne in Hair, Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Lady of the Lake in Spamalot.  In May last year, Georgia was one of the incredible performers selected to participate in the first Firecracker Department Dust-Off, to sharpen up skills for musical theatre firecrackers mid-pandemic!    Head Producer: Winnie Wong @wonder_wong Head Writer/Editor: Sydney Neilson @sydney_neilson Editor: Jordyn Giddens Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.firecrackerdepartment.com and follow us @firecrackerdept!

Georgia Grant

Join Naomi Snieckus as she interviews womxn in all facets of the entertainment industry!

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Firecracker Department with Naomi Snieckus

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